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Britain

Britain
The latest breaking news and stories on the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK), a constitutional monarchy in northern Europe which includes England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and the world’s sixth largest economy. Also covering the UK’s relationship with the European Union (EU) post Brexit, as well as with China, plus commentary and updates on the UK’s economy, politics, society and social issues.
Capital
London
Head of State
King Charles III
King Charles III
Head of Government
Prime Minister Keir Starmer
The Long San Tong Khoo Kongsi clanhouse in Penang. Photo: Ushar Daniele
SCMP Highlights

Rise of Peranakan Chinese networks, Malaysian ex-PM jailed: 7 Asia highlights

From Indonesia fuming over flag stunt to Duterte’s drug war verdict upheld, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Keir Starmer

Actor Idris Elba, ice legends Torvill and Dean recognised in UK honours

Fifa

Editorial | Pricing out most fans harmful to World Cup’s football festival

Keir Starmer

Starmer under fire for activist’s return from Egypt as old posts resurface

Prime minister faces criticism from Jewish groups and Britain’s opposition over Alaa Abdel-Fattah’s return to the UK.

Alaa Abdel-Fattah, who returned to the UK after years of diplomatic efforts by London to secure his release from detention in Egypt. Photo: AP
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

5,000 Hong Kong workers idle as new scaffold net safety regime hits 200 projects

Development Bureau says it will consider amending a law to strengthen supervision over external works involved in major building repairs.

Obituaries

The Cure guitarist and keyboard player Perry Bamonte dies aged 65

Bamonte, who became a full member of The Cure in 1990, was initially part of the British Goth rock band’s road crew from 1984.

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King Charles III

Britain’s King Charles calls for ‘reconciliation’ in Christmas speech

UK monarch praises the courage of those who risked their lives for others during his fourth Christmas broadcast as king.

Britain’s King Charles during the recording of his Christmas message. Photo: PA via AP
Architecture and design

London-based designer Faye Toogood on her humanist, playful approach

Her multidisciplinary practice designed the commercially successful Roly Poly chair and Baker trousers, now seen as Toogood’s signatures.

Donald Trump

Jimmy Kimmel takes aim at Trump in ‘alternative Christmas message’ to UK

Talk show host and Trump foe Kimmel tells UK TV that ‘tyranny is booming’ in the US.

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Royalty

Daughters of King Charles’ brother Andrew join royals for Christmas service

Their father, who was recently stripped of his titles ‍over ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was absent from the church.

Britain’s Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie after attending the Royal Family’s Christmas Day service. Photo: Reuters
Bangladesh

Aspiring Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman welcomed home after 17 years abroad

The political heavyweight is to lead the BNP through an election after ex-premier Sheikh Hasina’s exit following a student-led uprising.

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Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman waves to crowds from a vehicle after his arrival in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
Indonesia

Red, white and Blue: Indonesia lodges complaint over porn star’s flag stunt

Bonnie Blue’s run-in with Indonesia began earlier this month when she was arrested for making pornographic content in a Bali studio.

Africa

Algeria brands French colonisation a crime, demands reparations, apology

France’s rule over Algeria from 1830 until 1962 remains a sore spot in relations between the two countries.

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Social media

Letters | To kick our social media habit, let’s start with the adults

Readers discuss the missing link in efforts to restrict screen time for children, concern over the Jimmy Lai trial and verdict, and rampant illegal parking in Hong Kong.

Hongkongers engrossed in their phones are a common sight on the MTR. Photo: Eugene Lee
Sexual harassment and assault

Russell Brand charged with new counts of rape, sexual assault in UK

The new charges relate to ⁠two women and follow five charges made in April involving four other women.

Russell Brand speaking at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest 2025, on December 18 in Phoenix. Photo: AP
Social media

US hits 5 Europeans with visa bans in ‘censorship’ row

Former EU commissioner is among those barred as the US targets individuals it says are involved in censoring US social media platforms.

US-China trade war

Explainer | Will US-led ‘Pax Silica’ be a new dawn for the international AI supply chain?

Trump administration aims for deeper technology cooperation on new AI infrastructure with allies.

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Islamic militancy

2 men found guilty of UK plot to kill hundreds in Jewish community

Had the plan come off, it would have resulted in ‘one of, if not the, deadliest terrorist attack in UK history’, say counterterrorism police.

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A makeshift memorial to honour the victims of the December 14 mass shooting during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Explainer | As ‘super flu’ spreads worldwide, how can Hongkongers protect against it?

Researchers find 82.8 per cent of flu specimens collected from Queen Mary Hospital between December 6 and 11 were subclade K.

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Palestine Action

Greta Thunberg arrested in London at pro-Palestinian protest

The 22-year-old Swede held a sign supporting hunger strikers and their organisation known as Palestine Action.

Indonesia

Rafflesia flower rediscovery in Indonesia revives push to drop colonial name

The giant flower find has renewed calls among researchers to rename its genus, which honours British colonial official Thomas Raffles.

A close-up of the rare Rafflesia flower rediscovered in West Sumatra last month by flower-hunter Septian Andriki, a team led by researcher Joko Witono, Oxford scientist Chris Thorogood and local guide Iswandi. Photo: X/Chris Thorogood
Crime

UK man, 5 others charged with sex offences against woman

Six men, including the victim’s former husband, were ‌charged with dozens of offences.

The Statue of Justice atop the Central Criminal Court building in London. Six men have been charged with sexual offences against the same woman. Photo: PA Images via Getty Images
Art

Elusive street artist Banksy unveils latest work in central London

The artist confirms a new mural - as a mysterious, identical piece appears just kilometres away.

Obituaries

Chris Rea, UK singer of ‘Driving Home for Christmas’, dead at 74

After a career spanning five decades and 40 million records sold, the Middlesbrough-born musician died in hospital following a short illness.

Germany

Baidu teams up with Uber, Lyft for London robotaxi launch in first half of 2026

The Lyft robotaxi fleet will use Baidu’s fully electric Apollo Go RT6, which has been purpose-built for ride-sharing.

An arranged image shows the Uber logo on a mobile phone in central London. Photo: EPA-EFE
Education

Opinion | As UK universities lose prestige, Asian institutions stand to benefit

The decline of Britain’s universities and the challenges facing Western academia in general stem from education no longer being treated as a national investment.

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People walk past the Bridge of Sighs at Oxford University in Britain on December 5. Photo: Reuters
Banking & finance

Gold takes centre stage as Hong Kong builds commodities ecosystem

Hong Kong plans to build an international gold trading centre as part of a wider commodities hub push.

China’s soft power

Chinese spy? Propagandist? Former Confucius Institute director tells his story

Memoir by former Britain-based academic rebuts accusations that the centres serve as vehicles for Beijing’s state narratives.

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